Open-face card holder and mounting assembly therefor



Jan. 16, 1968 D. L. NELSON 3,363,349

OPEN-FACE CARD HOLDER AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY THEREFOR Filed Oct. 21, 1965 Fig. 2

Dale L. Nelson INVENTOR.

. 34 BY 42 I M EM United States Patent 3,363,349 OPEN -FACE CARD HOLDER AND MOUNTING ASSEMBLY THEREFOR Dale L. Nelson, 836 South 500 East, Orem, Utah 84057 Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 500,409 Claims. (Cl. 40-102) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A double leaf folio having a support panel removably supported from one of its leaves, the support panel having a plurality of transparent card holders disposed thereon in double laterally spaced columnar fashion with the holders in each column of holders having all but one set of corresponding edge portions thereof disposed in overlapped engagement with the adjacent card holders of the same column of card holders and means being provided to pivotally secure the one set of corresponding edge portions of the card holders to the support or supporting panel for rotation about axes generally paralleling the one set of corresponding edge portions of the card holders.

This invention relates to a novel and useful open-face card holder and mounting assembly therefor and more specifically to a card holder which may be readily utilized to provide a means for filing note cards, outline cards, bibliography and reference cards, sales and inventory cards, and many other types of reference cards which must be filed in an orderly manner and available for ready reference.

The open-face card holder of the instant invention comprises a panel of stiff but somewhat flexible material and which includes narrow generally parallel opposite side lip-forming marginal edge portions which are bent back over one face of the panel and project toward each other in order to form a pair of opposing channels in which to receive remote marginal edge portions of a reference card to be disposed in the holder. The panel of which the card holder is constructed may or may not be transparent material but is preferably formed of such material in order that the back surfaces of the reference cards or the like placed within the card holders may also be viewed through the rear face of the holder.

The holder of the instant invention has been designed specifically to the utilized in groups of many holders with one set of corresponding edge portions of the holders hingedly secured to a mounting panel and with the card holders positioned in a manner such that substantially all of the holders except for the aforementioned one set of corresponding edge portions are disposed in overlapping engagement With adjacent card holders. Further, each of the mounting panels to which a set of the card holders is secured is preferably constructed of a panel including two sections hingedly secured together at corresponding edge portions with the card holder secured to one of the sections and the other section being adapted to be inserted within a pocket provided therefor in one or more types of notebooks or folios.

The main object of this invention is to provide a means by which a plurality of reference cards may be readily filed and handled in an efficient manner.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a card holder which is adapted to be secured in large groups of card holders to a support panel therefor in a manner such that the reference cards supported in the individual card holders may be selectively readily referred to.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an open-face card holder and mounting assembly therefor which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an open notebook or folio shown with a plurality of sets of open-face card holders of the instant invention mounted upon suitable mounting panel assemblies removably secured to the notebook or folio;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one of the mounting panel assemblies illustrated in FIGURE 1 shown removed from the notebook or folio and with some of the open-face card holders mounted thereon shown in different pivoted positions relative thereto;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the notebook or folio illustrated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of one portion of the assemblage illustrated in FIGURE 1 and illustrating the manner in which the various card holders mounted thereon may be alphabetically indexed.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 16 generally designates a folio or notebook including front and back leaves 12 and 14 interconnected at adjacent edge portions by means of an integral flexible hinge portion 16. Each of the leaves 12 and 14 includes an inner facing panel 18 and an outer facing panel 20 with a stiffening panel 22 disposed therebetween. The corresponding edge portions of the inner and outer panels 18 and 29 are secured together in any convenient manner and the stiffening panels 22 of the front and back leaves 12 and 14 terminate adjacent the flexible hinge portion 16 which may be conveniently composed of integral portions of the inner and outer facing panels 18 and 20 of the leaves 12 and 14.

Each of the inner panels 18 is provided with a slot 24 and each of the stiffening panels 22 is provided with the corresponding slot 26.

The card holders of the instant invention are each generally designated by the reference numeral 28 and comprise a panel 39 of stiff but somewhat flexible mate rial including narrow generally parallel opposite side ip forming marginal edge portions 32 and 34 which are bent back over the front face 36 of the panel 30 to form confronting channels 38 and 40.

The card holders 28 are adapted to be utilized in large groups and one or more groups of card holders 28 are secured to a mounting panel assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 42 including a sup port leaf 44 and a mounting leaf 46. The mounting panel assemblies 42 may be constructed of relatively stiff cardboard and the like and in such a manner that the support leaves and mounting leaves 44 and 46 thereof are interconnected by means of integral flexible portions 48 extending between each pair of corresponding support and mounting leaves 44 and 46.

As can best be seen from FIGURES 2 and .3 of the drawings each group of card holders 28 is secured to the corresponding support leaf 44 by means of a plurality of hinge members 50. Each of the hinge members 50 comprises a flexible panel-like member including support and mounting leaves 52 and 54 interconnected by means of an integral hinge portion 56. The leaf 54 of each hinge member 50 is adhesively secured to the corresponding support leaf 44 in any convenient manner such as by pressure sensitive adhesive (not shown) and the same method of attachment may be utilized to secure each of the support leaves 52 to the rear surface of the edge portion of the corresponding panel 30 adjacent its marginal edge portion 32. The hinge members 50 are of a length to extend across substantially the entire width of the corresponding panels 30 and are secured to the support leaves 44 in vertically spaced relation in order that all but the uppermost marginal edge portions of the panels 30 are disposed in overlapping engagement with the adjacent panels.

When it is desired to support a reference card 60 from one of the card holders 28, the card 60 is merely bowed so as to foreshorten the distance between the edge portions thereof to be received within the channels 38 and 40 at which point these edge portions may be readily inserted within the corresponding channels of the associated card holder 28. In addition, the reference cards 60 may also he slid longitudinally into the corresponding card holders 28 from one pair of corresponding ends of the channels 38 and 40 thereof.

In order to mount the mounting panel assembly 42 within the folio or notebook 10, the mounting leaf 46 is inserted through the registered slots 24 and 26 in order that the mounting leaf be disposed between the stiffening panel and the outer panel 20. Thereafter, the requisite reference cards 60 may be readily inserted in the correct card holders 28.

In addition, as can best be seen from FIGURE 5, the marginal edge portions 34 may have indexing indicia 64 applied thereto whereby a ready index is available to the user of the folio 10. Still further, if it is desired the indexing indicia 64 may be provided on the lower edge portions of the cards 60 in lieu of being applied directly to the marginal edge portions 34. Still further, the slots 24 and 26 could be provided in the longer free edge portions of the leaves 12 and 14 and horizontally elongated mounting panel assemblies could be utilized in lieu of the vertically elongated mounting panel assemblies 42. If such horizontally elongated mounting panel assemblies are used, the hinged edge portions of the associated card holders 28 will of course be disposed adjacent the flexible portions of the horizontally elongated mounting panel assemblies hingedly connecting the support and mounting leaves thereof.

Further, if it is desired, the card holders 28 can be provided with only the marginal edge portions 34 so as to define only the channels 40. By this construction the upper marginal edge portions of the card holders 28 would be devoid of turned back edge portions and the cards 60 to be supported by such modified card holders would not have to be bowed when applied to the holders 28. Of course, the hinge members 50 could also be used to hingedly support the upper edge portions of such modified card holders from a supporting panel.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be restored to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A card holder comprising an upstanding panel of stiff but somewhat flexible material, said panel including at least a lower marginal edge portion terminating in a reversely turned portion of said panel extending toward said upper edge portion and overlying the face of said panel, said panel and said reversely turned portion defining a receptacle for the insertion of a card thereinto, said panel being constructed of transparent material, an upstanding supporting panel, a plurality of said card holders arranged on said supporting panel in double laterally spaced columnar fashion with the holders in each column of holders having all but one set of corresponding edge portions thereof disposed in overlapped engagement with the adjacent card holders of the same column of card holders, means pivotally securing said one set of corresponding edge portions of the card holders in each column of card holders to said supporting panel for rotation about axes generally paralleling said one set of corresponding edge portions, said means pivotally securing said one set of corresponding edge portions to said supporting panel comprising a plurality of hinge members each including a pair of relatively pivotable hinge leaves, one leaf of each hinge assembly being secured to the corresponding edge portion of the associated card holder and the other leaf of each hinge assembly being secured to said supporting panel, a folio including a pair of relatively pivotable leaves, at least one of said leaves including means adapted to embracingly receive at least one edge portion of said supporting panel and coacting with the latter to removably secure said supporting panel from said one leaf of said folio.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said leaves are adhesively secured to said supporting panel and said card holders.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said hinge members are each constructed of a single panel of flexible material folded along a line separating the two leaves thereof.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said supporting panel comprises a support leaf of a mounting panel assembly also including a mounting leaf pivotally secured along one edge portion to a corresponding edge portion of said support leaf.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein at least one of said leaves includes a pocket opening outwardly at a slot extending along one edge portion thereof and defining said embracing means, said mounting leaf being removably positioned and embraced in said pocket with the edge portion thereof adjacent to said support leaf projecting outwardly of said slot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,411 8/ 1839 Van Bussler 2.81--33 2,610,421 9/1952 Horn 40--102 2,649,799 8/1953 Spertus 40152 2,903,808 9/ 1959 Anderson 40-16 3,071,881 1/ 1963 Ruterbusch 12920. 3,091,046 5/1963 Engelstein 40l02 FOREIGN PATENTS 974,762 10/ 1950 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. W. J. CONTRERAS, Examiner. 

